Ali Worster, Esq.

Function in the hospital: As Vice President of Human Resources, East Region, Ali participates in the planning and implementation of strategies to ensure that Eastern Maine Medical Center meets its patient care mission, and strengthens the hospital’s role as part of EMHS. She is specifically responsible for providing direction to human resources, education and leadership training, and employee health and employee wellness in collaboration with EMHS system support. Ali is also charged with leading and improving employee and labor relations, recruitment and retention, policy administration, performance management, employee recognition events, salary administration, co-leading cultural transformation, resolving employee complaints and ensuring compliance with a myriad of legal and regulatory requirements related to employment matters.

The road to here: Ali was born at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and was raised just up the road in Lincoln, Maine. She graduated with a dual major bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy, with a minor in biology from the University of Tennessee, and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law in Portland. She is an active member of the Maine State Bar. While attending law school, Ali joined Bath Iron Works in Brunswick, Maine, as a labor representative, working one-on-one with union officials. Upon graduating, Ali took on the role of legal specialist at BIW, eventually going on to become the Human Resources senior legal specialist and ethics and compliance officer.

After five years with BIW, Ali spent some time at EMHS as a system attorney, focused on labor and employment law, then returned to BIW as the Sr. Manager and Chief Negotiator to govern labor relations for roughly 5,000 employees. When the prospect arose to become Vice President of Human Resources at EMMC, Ali jumped at the opportunity.

What she’s trying to do: "I want every employee to feel as though they have ownership of Eastern Maine Medical Center, and that Human Resources is here to support that ownership as they provide our patients and their loved ones with high-quality care. My main goal is to help people understand that this hospital cannot and does not function without the contribution of each and every employee.”

Guiding Principle: "For me, it’s all about servant leadership. I exist to serve the people who work under me, and HR exists to serve all of those who work here at Eastern Maine Medical Center,” says Ali. “If we all embrace a principal of servant leadership, we can truly thrive both individually and as an organization, ultimately better serving our patients. There is no one person smarter than all of us combined.”

Proudest professional accomplishments: "I’ve achieved some pretty amazing results through contract negotiations,” Ali says of her time at BIW. “Through teamwork and transparency, we have come out on the other side of negotiations preserving strong relationships with some very dynamic unions. It’s important to put the relationship you have with your people above hitting a specific goal, and the proudest moments for me have been when we’ve hit the goal in creative and collaborative ways while keeping the relationship with the employees intact.”

At Northern Light Health, we’re building a better approach to healthcare because we believe people deserve access to care that works for them. As an integrated health delivery system serving Maine, we’re raising the bar with no-nonsense solutions that are leading the way to a healthier future for our state. Our more than 12,000 team members are committed to making healthcare work for you: our patients, communities, and employees.